


biting the hand that feeds

by teamheretic



Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: F/F, Heretic Lizzie, lightly based on 3x04
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-11
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-17 23:29:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29973942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teamheretic/pseuds/teamheretic
Summary: lizzie becomes a heretic and hope helps with her transition the only way she knows how - by giving lizzie her blood
Relationships: Hope Mikaelson/Lizzie Saltzman
Comments: 14
Kudos: 81





	biting the hand that feeds

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone. This is a side project that I've been working on to get the creative juices flowing. I've been having writer's block lately and it's caused me to update The Heavenly War later and later each time, so I hope this holds you over until the next chapter comes out. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this one-shot!

Her senses were overwhelmed.

The strobe lights were too bright, the music too loud, and no matter where she turned her head she could always hear _someone_ talking. 

Normally Lizzie loved parties - she _relished_ in the attention, knowing that wherever she went, there was always at least one pair of eyes on her. 

Not tonight, though. She wished people would forget about her, at least for a few minutes, so she could quietly slip away into the night. 

She rolled her neck to release the tension, then took a sip out of her cup; the alcohol tasted bland, close to water. Her only sense that wasn’t on overload was her sense of taste. How unfortunate. 

The party was a celebration; Malivore, using Landon’s body, had decided to double cross the Necromancer and release all the monsters by himself, killing the latter in the process. Alaric had formed his own militia of brave Salvatore students to fight the beasts and were successful in buying Josie and Alyssa enough time to send them all to a prison world. Hope and Landon had gotten out of there virtually unscathed, with Malivore leaving his son’s body at some point. Lizzie didn’t really care for the details, considering she hadn’t asked for any. 

And where was Lizzie herself during all of this? Dead, mostly.  
  


She had gone after a monster who had its own agenda and instead of attacking the students like the other undead creatures, it had made a beeline toward the school, hoping to destroy it, no doubt. Unfortunately, the younger students were still in lockdown while Alaric was away and a few of the older witches had stayed behind to watch them. Lizzie had no way to warn them, so she was on her own. 

And running off _by herself_ after an eight-foot-tall cyclops who had managed to get itself a sword was probably the dumbest thing she had ever done. 

Well, it’s not like she had a choice. Jed and Kaleb, along with the other students plus her dad were busy trying not to let the monsters turn Mystic Falls into a spinoff of The Walking Dead, MG and Josie were reenacting Star Wars and trying to bring Alyssa back from the dark side, and Hope and Landon were doing god-knows-what in the prison world. _Gross._ The thought of them alone in there upset her more than it should, but the middle of a miniature supernatural war was not the place to try and sort out her feelings. 

But yeah, it was up to Lizzie to be the hero, not that she was ever good at it. 

She had caught up to the cyclops, still a significant distance away from the school gates, and began blasting it with whatever spells came to mind while she tried to dodge the _very_ sharp sword in its hand. After a few minutes she felt her magic reserves begin to deplete, and not only that, but the monster had also driven her backwards until her back hit the metal gates. 

Lizzie had remembered the gargoyle, how willing she was to sacrifice her own life to prevent the monster from going out into the world. It was the opposite now; she couldn’t let this beast enter the school, her _home,_ and hurt more people. Something came to her. 

_Why the hell didn’t I think of this before?_ she scolded herself. 

She remembered a spell, one lost in the more advanced section of the Gemini Coven grimoire. It was dark magic, a death spell, and Lizzie knew it would somewhat affect her later, but there was nothing else she could do. So, using the last of her magic, she recited the words at the same time the cyclops made a final charge at her with the blade. As the blonde opened her eyes, the creature stilled, then fell over, its body smoking and dissolving as though it had been doused in acid; once the smoke cleared, Lizzie could see that there was nothing left of the monster - her mind unwillingly thought of what it would look like if this spell had been used on a person. 

She tried to take a step, then nearly collapsed. In the heat of the moment, she failed to see or even feel that the monster had struck her side with the sword. Pulling the weapon out and touching her wound, she was horrified to see that her hand had turned completely red with blood. Beginning to feel lightheaded due to the blood loss, she pried open the gates, just wide enough for her to get through, and tried to run back to the school, the pain making it more of a jog. She didn’t remember reaching her father’s office, but when she did, she knew exactly where to look for what she needed. 

She gripped the third book on the second row of the bookshelf, pulled it down and watched as the shelf slid to the side, revealing a secret room where her dad kept his most rare and valuable items, including vials of Hope’s blood. Hoping that it would heal her quickly so she could go back and help her sister, she didn’t think twice before downing the blood. As soon as the last drop went down her throat, she blacked out. 

She woke up - much later, she figured, considering the sun was almost completely set. She sat up and winced at the pool of blood surrounding her and covering her father’s carpet. She waved her hand, casting a spell to make the stain go away. She frowned; she didn’t remember siphoning magic on her way to the office.

That was the first sign that she ignored. 

The second one came immediately after the first. She stood up and opened the office door to leave; what was once a harmless creaking sound of the hinges now took the form of a high-pitched screech in Lizzie’s ears. She covered her ears, hoping to drown out the horrible sound. She had never reacted that way to any type of noise before, no matter how loud, so she brushed it off as her ears being sensitive after having just passed out.

She stepped out of the office, casting a silencing spell on the door before she closed it again, and walked toward her room, assuming that too much time had passed for her to help Josie, not that she would be much help in her condition. She squinted at the lights in the hallway, feeling what she thought was a headache coming on. The blonde reached her bedroom and was surprised to find that her sister had not arrived yet. Her concern was lessened somewhat once she remembered that the school was currently just as empty as when she arrived. She sighed and went to inspect herself in the mirror; she nearly gasped at her own reflection. She looked terrible; her blue sweater was now half-red from her wound, her usually fair skin was now pale, and she overall looked sickly. 

Josie and her dad would each throw a fit if they found her in this state, so she cleaned herself up and decided to go into the kitchen to get some food in her. Opening the fridge, she let out a sigh of disappointment when she saw nothing appetizing, much less nutritious. Her nose, however, caught something, and her eyes gravitated toward the very bottom of the refrigerator, where the animal blood for the vamps to drink was kept. That was the final sign.

She didn’t have time to question why she was craving _blood,_ of all things, as all rationale went out the window and she snatched two blood bags, poured them out into a large cup, and drank them both, not leaving a single drop. She took a deep breath, feeling somewhat satisfied, when what she had just done suddenly hit her. She faced the fridge, looking at her reflection in the polished metal, and began to tremble when she didn’t recognize what she saw. Fair skin around her eyes and innocent canines had been replaced with black veins and razor sharp fangs. 

She realized then that Hope’s blood didn’t just heal her, it _turned_ her. She didn’t pass out, she died. Right there in her father’s office, and she didn’t even think twice about it. 

She didn’t have time to ponder the matter further when she began to hear whoops and cheers in the hallway - they had defeated all the monsters, which meant that her sister and dad were most likely back by now. Sprinting back to her room, she opened the wooden door, shut it behind her, and locked it, grateful to see that Josie was still out. She needed time to think. 

She was still Lizzie, that was for sure. Her mind felt foggy, whether that was from the transition or from the dark magic, she didn’t know. 

She heard the doorknob jiggle, then a knock. 

“Lizzie? Are you here? Why is the door locked?” Josie called through the door. 

Lizzie took a deep breath and looked at herself in the mirror once more, secretly hoping that her sister wasn’t covered in blood or else she’d lose control. She trudged to the door, opening it for her twin. 

Josie ran in and embraced her. “We did it!” she squealed. “All the monsters are gone, Hope and Landon are back from the prison world, and we got both Alyssa and MG back.” 

See, Lizzie was going to tell her sister right there about what had happened to her, but seeing the dreamy smile on Josie’s face - how happy she looked because everything worked out and she got to be the hero for a day - Lizzie couldn’t bring herself to do it. 

Before the blonde could say anything else, though, Josie told her the last thing she needed to hear that day. 

“As a celebration, Jed and Kaleb are throwing a party tonight, and we’re going!” 

Lizzie was about to decline her sister’s invitation to attend the gathering, which would’ve immediately tipped Josie off that something was wrong anyway, but overturned that decision when she thought that maybe going to a party would take her mind off of her newfound status as a vampire.

“I’ll meet you there,” Lizzie said over her shoulder, about an hour later, as she was putting on the finishing touches of her makeup. Josie nodded and left. Once she heard the brunette’s footsteps fade away, Lizzie let out a breath, which sounded way too close to a sob for comfort. Bracing herself for not only the overstimulation that she would inevitably experience due to attending a party as a newbie vamp, but also for the purpose of trying to maintain the perfect mask of normalcy. 

So that’s where she found herself now. In the middle of the woods, trying not to look like she was having a terrible time. 

She had caught up to Josie a while ago, then left her sister’s side saying that she wanted to greet more people, but really she just needed some space. Lizzie had yet to see Hope _or_ Landon, which, weirdly enough in terms of the latter, annoyed her even more. 

Little did she know, Hope _was_ in fact, in Landon’s room, however the mood was solemn instead of celebratory. Watching Landon die several times that day (and witnessing him die countless times before) had become too much for Hope. She thought that dating someone who couldn’t die would protect her heart from more trauma, but, being with him, and seeing how little he valued his life merely because he knew he could come back, didn’t sit right with her. It stirred up painful memories, and she knew, deep down, that she should have let him go a long time ago. 

She also learned a little bit more about herself in that regard. She was always willing to sacrifice herself because if she died, she’d also come back, but now things would be different. She would still put her life on the line for her friends, but this time she would start taking more care of herself. She had friends to think about, and her death would now impact more than just her and her family. 

Teary-eyed, she left Landon’s room, her now ex-boyfriend wearing a similar expression on his face. The halls were too quiet for her liking, which surprised her, because a year ago, she would have enjoyed the silence, but after the day she'd had, all she wanted to do was have a laugh with her friends. She stopped by her room, grabbed a coat, and made her way down to the party.

Meanwhile, Lizzie watched as Jed cut the music and stood on a nearby table, ready to make a toast. 

“To our victory,” he said in a dramatic voice, causing Kaleb to roll his eyes. It earned a few laughs from the crowd, and even Lizzie smiled somewhat, only because she was _sure_ he was mimicking her father. 

“We did a good job today, guys,” he continued, “we didn’t get too badly hurt, and none of us got killed, which is a win in my book!” With that, everyone erupted into cheers. 

Something snapped in Lizzie. _She_ was the one that got hurt, _she_ was the one who got killed. There wouldn’t be a school, much less a party, right now if it hadn’t been for her. The fact that she was unable to say anything without exposing herself caused a painful lump to form in her throat. 

She didn’t want the praise, she didn’t even want the credit; she just wanted someone to _know_ what had happened to her, but she couldn’t tell anyone, not yet. It would ruin everything; Lizzie knew that her mom was working so hard to find them a solution for the Merge because the alternative would’ve been to turn one of them into a vampire, and Caroline wanted her daughters to have a different life than the one she had lived; her dad - he had a bad track record with vampires, considering he himself was one for a while and hated it, and the fact that a vampire, a _heretic,_ Lizzie’s own uncle, had killed the love of his life; Josie - Josie would be devastated. She would age, Lizzie wouldn’t. Birthdays would become awkward, and eventually painful to even acknowledge. Josie would die first, and from there Lizzie would be lost. 

Before her thoughts could spiral further, she tossed the cup she was drinking out of (not that it’s contents did anything to affect her with her supernatural metabolism) and practically stomped away from the festivities, her exit going mostly unnoticed, the exception being the always watchful eyes of Hope Mikaelson, who had just arrived. 

Lizzie spotted her dad off to the side, having a drink of his own. She shook her head, having more pressing issues to worry about than her dad, the headmaster, drinking in front of his own students. 

She retreated deeper and deeper into the forest. 

Hope frowned as she watched the blonde disappear into the trees. She didn’t look wasted, angry was the more accurate term, but why? What happened while she was in the prison world? 

She looked at the party, and back to the woods again; she made a decision, choosing to follow Lizzie. Hope was grateful in that moment that she could see in the dark, otherwise she would have lost Lizzie in the dense forest by then. 

. 

Lizzie didn’t know where she was going - _if_ she was going anywhere. She just walked, trying to clear her head. Her emotions were heightened, she knew that, but she believed that her reaction was justified, though rather abrupt. 

She began to feel dizzy, and stopped, putting her hand on a tree to steady herself. The blonde heard the sound of a branch snapping behind her. Turning around, she was nothing short of confused when she witnessed Hope, of all people, stepping out of the darkness.

“What are you doing here?” Lizzie intended for her voice to sound commanding, but it came out as something above a whisper. 

“I could ask you the same thing,” replied Hope, gesturing around them. She took a closer look at the taller girl and saw that she was panting, her skin a sickly pale color, almost green, and her eyes seemed empty, dark circles accentuating them. It was obvious that this wasn’t mere intoxication.

“Are you okay?” Hope tried, but was waved off by the blonde. 

Lizzie stood upright, ignoring the way she felt at Hope’s genuine concern. “I’ve just had too much to drink,” she let out a laugh, but it sounded hollow, even to her. 

“You’re not drunk, Lizzie, you’re sick.” Hope continued to slowly approach the blonde, who, unbeknownst to her, couldn’t run away even if she wanted to. 

Lizzie shook her head and walked over to the nearest tree stump, sitting herself down on it. “I’m fine, Hope. Go back to the party.” But the heretic should’ve known that Hope, the second most stubborn person after her, would refuse to let this go. 

“Seriously, Liz, you’re kind of scaring me here. Did one of the monsters poison you? What happened while I was gone?” 

Seeing the earnest and borderline desperate look in the tribrid’s eyes, Lizzie knew she couldn’t hold it in any longer. She patted the spot next to her on the stump, and Hope was all too quick to join her. 

Lizzie’s stormy blue irises met Hope’s. “You can’t tell Josie, or even my dad. _Nobody,”_ she whispered. 

Hope frowned. Lizzie wasn’t known for keeping secrets, especially from her own family. The shorter girl nodded, and normally that wouldn’t be good enough for Lizzie - she would’ve made Hope verbally promise her that she wouldn’t say anything - but she was too tired to press the matter further. Plus, she couldn’t do this alone, and Hope was the best person to receive help from. 

“So…” Before the blonde knew it, she began spilling her guts out; it had always been easy to talk to Hope, especially now that they were friends. The tribrid didn’t react once during the story, choosing instead to listen now and ask questions later. When Lizzie finished, the two sat in silence for a while - Lizzie trying not to pass out and Hope gathering her thoughts. 

After a while, Hope spoke first. “Wow, so um...you - “

“Died?” Lizzie finished for her. She chuckled. “Yeah, I think that’s how vampirism works, Mikaelson.”

“I’m sorry,” Hope said quietly. She didn’t know why she got so flustered around the blonde. Their friendship was still so new to her, so refreshing, and she didn’t really know how to act around Lizzie in general. She didn’t have a problem talking to MG, or Jed, or even Josie. But with Lizzie it was...different. 

Lizzie looked at her, brow furrowed. “Why are you sorry? I kinda did this to myself.” 

“I know, but...it can’t be easy.”

The heretic cleared her throat and sat up a little straighter. “Maybe this is a good thing. The Merge is over. My parents can stop acting like they’re going to lose a daughter in a few years; Josie can live a normal life now.” 

Hope smiled softly at the blonde. She always admired how Lizzie could find joy in the little things. Then she heard the blonde’s heavy breathing and remembered why she sat down in the first place. 

“Have you completed the transition?” she asked. 

Lizzie shook her head. “That’s the problem. I don’t want to hurt anybody.” 

Hope bit her lip; she had an idea, but wasn’t sure if Lizzie would go for it. “Feed from me,” she stated simply. 

Lizzie looked at the tribrid in disbelief. Hope began to move her hair to one side, exposing the side of her neck that faced Lizzie. 

The blonde shook her head. “I can’t, Hope.” 

“Lizzie, you know you only have less than a day to drink something that’s not animal blood. I may not be human, but it’ll help you complete the transition. Your only other option is to wait it out and die.” Hope didn’t mean for it to come out so bluntly, but she knew Lizzie didn’t like it when people sugarcoated their words. Part of her was also scared that Lizzie would consider the latter option. 

Lizzie looked into Hope’s crystal blue eyes for what felt like an eternity, trying to find a hint of fear, something that told Lizzie that she shouldn’t feed from her friend, but came up empty. She sighed, relenting.

“Just so you know, I have _zero_ control over what happens next,” she stated, a hint of her trademark snarkiness returning to her voice. 

Hope smiled, knowing _exactly_ what would happen next. “Lizzie, I can take care of myself, you know,” she said, a mischievous glint on her eyes. 

_Did I just...flirt?_ she quickly realized.

Seeing the slightly panicked look appear on Hope’s face, Lizzie scooted away from her, thinking that the tribrid was having second thoughts. 

“M-maybe I should...just find another way,” Lizzie stammered, standing up and beginning to walk away. 

Hope, at first confused as to why the blonde was suddenly leaving, scolded herself for making Lizzie uncomfortable and went after her, not that the heretic was able to get far. Before she knew it, Hope was pushing Lizzie up against a tree. 

Time seemed to stop; they were close enough that their breaths mingled. Hope had never thought about how short she was until she was eye-level with Lizzie’s lips. She saw the blonde gulp, and shook herself out of her thoughts. 

“Drink,” she ordered, tossing her hair aside once more. 

Lizzie, due to the tribrid’s close proximity, was suddenly able to hear Hope’s heartbeat; she thought about the blood rushing through her veins, and she was unable to stop the black veins and fangs from revealing themselves. 

Hope heard a sharp intake of breath - her own, most likely. She couldn’t think about anything other than how _beautiful_ Lizzie looked as a vampire. Her blue eyes contrasted against the red scleras and her blonde hair shimmered in the moonlight. She ignored the sense of danger around being a new vampire, or the risk of being seen by a wandering partygoer; all she saw were Lizzie’s full pink lips taunting her, and Hope couldn’t help herself; she leaned in, capturing them in her own. She didn’t care if Lizzie’s fangs were threatening to cut her lips - it was worth it if she got even the smallest taste of the blonde. 

Lizzie, once she knew what was happening, reciprocated the kiss, deepening it and pulling the tribrid closer to her. They stood there, enjoying the warm of each other’s bodies, for several moments, only breaking apart once they needed to breathe. 

  
“I - wow,” Lizzie breathed, panting. Her eyes and teeth had returned to normal. Kissing Hope Mikaelson under the moonlight while the tribrid was trying to get Lizzie to consume her blood was not how she pictured her night going at all. Her mind cleared, then she remembered that she wasn’t _supposed_ to have kissed Hope; the tribrid was taken, the hobbit probably waiting for his girlfriend somewhere. She felt guilty.

Hope saw the regretful look on the blonde’s face and frowned. “Is there something wrong?” She was even more confused when Lizzie gave her a hard stare. 

“What about Landon, you know, your _boyfriend?”_

Hope bit her lip, remembering that she had just broken up with him and no one else knew about it. She sighed. “ _Ex-_ boyfriend. We broke up tonight.” 

Lizzie just stared, mouth forming a perfect “o” shape. “Oh. I’m sorry. Do you...do you want to talk about it?” 

Hope shook her head, and the two stood in an awkward silence, neither girl knowing what to say. Lizzie, thinking of herself as nothing more than a rebound, just wanted to go back to her room and sleep. She pushed herself off of the tree, putting some distance between herself and the auburn-haired girl. 

  
“Goodnight, Hope,” she murmured, eyes downcast. Without looking at Hope or even waiting for a reply, she used her new vampire speed to get away, as far away from the shorter girl as possible; it was a miracle she didn’t run into a tree.

* * *

Later that night, Hope paced around her room, wondering what the _hell_ had happened between her and Lizzie. 

She always knew that she was attracted to Lizzie; even back when they were at each other’s throats she couldn’t help but admire the fire in the blonde’s eyes, the way that Lizzie was the only person at the school who wasn’t scared of her. She found the former siphoner’s confidence attractive, her eyes captivating, and her snark was like no other. She thought that attraction had disappeared when she started dating Landon, but all it took was one “I believe you”, one hug in a moment of vulnerability, to open the floodgates. 

That was over a year ago. 

So Hope continued dating Landon - he was sweet, and more importantly, immortal. But it had been a doomed relationship from the start, something that the therapy box kept telling her. She was too stubborn, too loyal, too much of a _Mikaelson,_ to call it quits. Her obsession with the phoenix had hurt her friends, had damaged her relationships with them; she knew it would take a while before they could trust her again - trust that she wouldn’t abandon them for Landon again, just like she did after she woke up from her coma. Hope felt a rush of shame every time she thought about it; she left her friends to fend for themselves against a medieval monster. They could’ve died, and it would’ve been entirely her fault. But no more. 

Her instinct to kiss Lizzie felt natural, felt right. It made her realize that she could start fresh with someone new, and deepen a bond with someone she’s known for most of her life. She _liked_ Lizzie, she always had. 

However, Hope couldn’t worry about herself right now. The clock was counting down on Lizzie’s transition and the blonde had disappeared. The tribrid had checked the party, and the library; she even stopped by the twins’ room and listened through the door to hear if anyone was in there, but came up short. 

Hope stopped in front of her mirror and looked at her reflection, trying to gather her thoughts and figure out what to do, when the subject of her thoughts burst through the door. The two made eye contact via the mirror, and Hope watched as Lizzie slowly walked up behind her. Hope suppressed a shiver when she felt Lizzie’s body heat on her back. The blonde’s expression was blank, although there was a hint of _something_ in her eyes. 

“Liz?” Hope asked, her voice nearly cracking. “Are you okay?” 

“Sure. But we need to talk about that kiss.” Lizzie’s voice was rough, and whether that was from crying or something else, Hope couldn’t tell. 

Hope raised an eyebrow despite the delicate atmosphere in her room. “You kind of ran out on me.” 

Lizzie put her hands on Hope’s shoulders, the contact nearly making the shorter girl gasp. 

“I don’t like feeling like a consolation prize, Mikaelson,” the blonde whispered in Hope’s ear. 

Hope’s eyes widened. She couldn’t turn around, Lizzie’s grip on her shoulders were keeping her in place. The best she could do was communicate to Lizzie and tell her how she really felt about her through her reflection. 

“You’re not a consolation prize, Lizzie. You’re not my second choice, either. I,” she gulped. “I like you, and it has nothing to do with why Landon and I broke up, before you ask.” 

The heretic stayed silent for a moment, eyes burning into Hope’s in the mirror. Hope frowned; it wasn’t likely, but she had to ask. Lizzie was acting strange.

“Lizzie?” 

“Hmm.” 

“Did you shut it off?” Hope just barely managed to get the words out, dreading Lizzie’s answer. She wouldn’t know what to do if she was the reason why Lizzie decided to turn off her humanity. 

To her relief, Lizzie smiled and shook her head. “No. Don’t worry about me.” 

“I always worry,” Hope said, no longer thinking about what came out of her mouth. “Where were you? I was looking everywhere.”

“The lake,” Lizzie answered simply. Hope chastised herself for not searching there earlier.

“You have to feed,” Hope remembered, her tone a bit more stern. 

Lizzie smirked and Hope was surprised when the taller girl began moving her hair to the side, just as Hope herself had done earlier. 

Hope’s eyes were still glued to the mirror. “What changed your mind?” 

“I trust you,” Lizzie said, “and for what it’s worth...I like you too.” She let out a small giggle at her confession. She laid a kiss on Hope’s shoulder, and looked at the tribrid for consent. 

Hope nodded. “You can do it,” she cooed. 

Lizzie wrapped her arms around the tribrid, partly to feel the warmth of the shorter girl’s body and partly to keep her upright in case Lizzie took too much blood. Hope melted into the touch, leaning her entire body against the heretic, and feeling safe despite knowing what was about to happen. Lizzie closed her eyes and took a deep breath; Hope could only stare into the mirror as Lizzie opened her eyes and her face became disfigured once more. 

Slowly, Lizzie left a trail of kisses across Hope’s shoulder and up her neck, stopping at her pulse point. Hope tilted her head in order to give the blonde more access.

She tried not to wince at the initial pain, feeling Lizzie’s fangs sink deeply into her skin. She let out a soft sigh as Lizzie slightly tightened her grip around her waist, letting her know that she was listening in case Hope wanted her to stop. 

Lizzie tried not to lose herself in the feeling of drinking warm blood; Hope may be strong but even she couldn’t survive having the blood drained from her. With all of the control she could muster, Lizzie detached herself from the tribrid, grimacing at the two puncture holes in her neck. They quickly began to close, leaving only two blood trails behind, which Lizzie wiped away. 

Hope turned around, finally facing the taller girl. “Feeling better?” 

Lizzie nodded. “You okay?” 

Hope stood on her toes, giving Lizzie a gentle kiss as an answer. “Better than okay,” she murmured. She then proceeded to yawn, resting her head on Lizzie’s chest. Lizzie let out a laugh, and she grabbed Hope’s hand, tugging her to her bed. 

“I think it’s time for someone to go to sleep.” The blonde pulled back the covers; Hope complied, settling into the sheets without any complaint. 

Lizzie leaned down and kissed the tribrid on her forehead. “Goodnight, Hope, and...thank you, for what you did for me.” 

“Don’t thank me,” Hope said softly. “I wanted you to live.” 

Lizzie nodded and began to walk toward the door, but not before feeling a hand on her wrist. She turned around, looking back at a blushing Hope. 

“Can you stay here? Tonight?” 

Lizzie said nothing as she gestured for Hope to scoot over, and climbed under the blanket. Lizzie had never slept next to someone that wasn’t Josie, the latter being fond of twin cuddles, so she slightly tensed when she felt Hope nestle into her side. 

“Come on,” Hope teased. “I don’t bite.” 

“But _I_ do,” Lizzie threw back, smirking. She settled in and relaxed, letting Hope rest her head on her chest. 

It was nice, her vampirism being a secret between only her and Hope. It reminded Lizzie of when Hope first returned from Malivore, Lizzie being the only one who remembered her. She should’ve realized then that what she felt for Hope wasn’t just the admiration and appreciation of a platonic best friend, but something _more._ It took their kiss in the woods for her to be slapped in the face with the truth, and she was all too relieved that Hope reciprocated her feelings. 

She fell asleep to the thought that even though she would eventually have to tell her family and friends that she was now part-vampire, she had Hope by her side, and for that, she was more grateful than anyone would ever know.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think!


End file.
